Face Value
by troopertrish
Summary: Beauty and first impressions are things people should never judge prematurely, a lesson that Red X learns while battling with Raven.
**Hello Reader,**

 **Here's a one-shot to fill up the whole i've created by not updating my stories as much as i should. Forgive meeeeee.**

 **Hope you enjoy this short drabble. juts played with the idea.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans.**

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The blows kept coming without so much as a verbal exchange that it started to creep Red X out. He should have inserted a few teases and insults in between the missed left hooks and the dodged kicks, but he just didn't have it in him tonight. If he was being completely honest, he was bummed out. The baddies just had to pick tonight to get out of their couches to wreck some havoc. Tonight was supposed to be his night; five hundred thousand dollars depended on him delivering an ancient Ming period vase safely and successfully. Someone seriously needed to make an app where villains could schedule their heists and avoid overlaps, because baddies going out simultaneously and unplanned is how you end up getting the short end of the hero stick and battling it out with Raven.

Freaking Raven. Couldn't Birdbrain send the hot alien chick instead? Hell, he'd rather have a go at Beastboy if it meant he could escape this silent horror movie he'd unwillingly stepped in. It's not that Raven wasn't easy on the eyes; those flawless legs and tight butt did not fail to catch his attention. But with the no speaking policy and her face shrouded in the shadows of her hood, she undeniably brought a spooky air wherever she went. Red X almost expected Freddy Kreuger to barge in out of nowhere, just to complete the set. Thank god, she didn't have _those_ kind of powers. He didn't think he could handle Freddy.

Whether it was his impatience to just go and finally get the money or his discomfort at the consistent silence, Red X decided he'd had enough and grabbed a couple of adhesive X's from his belt. He deftly threw them towards Raven, who dodged a second too late as one zoomed past her face, missing her by a hair's width, while the other caught her upraised hand, pinning her wrist against the wall behind her.

Red X took advantage of her momentary immobility to do something that'll hopefully get her off his back. He rushed towards her, readying another tape. Raven glared at him, raising her free hand and chanting, "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Black magic enveloped her hand before they shot out towards an oncoming Red X, who evaded them with ease. Panic and frustration coursed through her, making her lash out carelessly. Red X could sense her desperation and inched closer, ducking and dodging until he was finally in front of her. He quickly threw a tape towards Raven, smirking as he watched it land square across her mouth, and raised a fist, ready to deliver a carefully calculated punch that'll knock her unconscious. He just wanted her to go to sleep for a while, not give her a concussion.

Hissing, Raven ducked. Red X's fist caught her hood, pulling it off her head and dragging her down. Neither of them expected that and both empath and thief went down together, landing just beside each other. Red X groaned as he tried to sit up. Colorful circles danced faintly in front of his eyes. He raised a hand to rub at them but paused when he found his arm covered in deep blue. Raven's cloak. His eyes went wide as he turned to her.

Raven was on her side, one hand propping her up while the other gently caressed the side of her head. She froze when she felt the silky strands of her hair. She'd lost her cloak. Growling, she turned to face Red X, ready to transport him to whatever desolate dimension, or if she was still too dazed form the fall, give him a black eye at least. The moment she faced him, though, she was bombarded with feelings of shock and tremendous awe from the thief.

He could not stop staring. He knew he was going to pay with his life for it, but he could not tear his eyes away. He didn't even know where to look first, so he just took it all in – the velvet purple of her hair; the moon-kissed paleness of her skin; her thin rosebud lips; her adorably pert nose; the slender curve of her jaw and cheeks; and finally, the deep pools of amethyst that were her eyes. She was beautiful. She was terrifyingly and painfully beautiful, and the only coherent thought he could come up with was how much of a shame it was that she hid all that beauty under the darkness of her hood.

He used to imagine that Raven must've looked like some stiff lipped librarian who only had an amazing body to compensate for an unattractive face. What other reason would there be for her to hide her face? Well, he did consider insecurity; there was no way she could be prettier than Starfire. Looking at her now, he knew he was horribly, horribly wrong. Starfire was undeniably beautiful. Breathtaking, even. But Raven…damn. Raven was in a league all on her own.

"Take a picture. It will last longer."

Her husky voice startled him, and before he could do anything else, her black magic enveloped him and threw him off the roof. Adrenaline got his mind working again and he teleported in midair, appearing on the rooftop right across Raven. He watched her, amused to see her glaring at him. He could practically see smoke coming out her ears. Who could blame her? He had her cloak. He was now free to admire her, all of her.

After a few moments, Raven took a step forward and raised her hand, flashing Red X her middle finger before she turned away and disappeared into a black portal. Red X laughed, shaking his head. He was clearly at the top of her shit list. "Oh well," he said, shrugging his shoulders as he raised the cloak for inspection. He'll see her again; she'll be wanting her cloak back. Unless she had a closetful of identical looking cloaks.

 **Fin**


End file.
